Aspen Wooten, Lake Nona girls capture elusive FHSAA tennis state title

Aspen Wooten, a talented tennis prodigy who moved from Memphis to Lake Nona with her family as a ninth grader , had accomplished just about everything available in her four-year high school career — including winning more than 100 matches. The one big missing piece was seeing her team finally capture an elusive state championship. On Tuesday afternoon at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Wooten finally achieved that goal.

With the Lions leading 3-0 and needing just one more match win against reigning state champ Miami Palmetto, she looked like a girl on a mission. She closed out a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-2 (10-2) win against Allesia Franco to clinch the team title. “It was now or nothing.

It’s my senior year. I wanted to go out on a bang,” said Wooten. That she did.

After dominating the second set to even the No. 2 singles match she continued her stellar play in the 10-point tiebreaker. Wooten drilled two overheads for points, added another with an exquisite drop shot, and ripped a two-handed backhand down the line on the way to a 7-1 advantage.